My weekend at lake hartwell, Ga was just about the most productive camping/herping trip i've ever been on. A whole bunch of "firsts" happened and..well...i'll just let the pictures tell the rest.
I found this first critter under the crossties in my grandparent's yard before I left on friday. He's a five lined skink (eumeces fasciatus or eumeces inexpectatus)
This happens to be my first snake capture that was on saturday (april fools day). Some campers across the lake were screaming "WATER MOCCASSIN!!!" so I ran outside the camper looking for it and sure enough there was a harmless common water snake (nerodia sipedon) poking it's head out of the water, no doubt laughing it's little arse off at the people that were freaking out.
he fled under the dock.....
...but not for long
this is where I got musked and the smell didnt leave my hands until the next day and about 1,000 hand washings and one shower later.
A few hours before we left to come home today I went on one last hike and only saw this little green anole (anolis carolinensis), but he's a pretty little lizard and I was glad to see one last herp before I left.
last but not least I found this red-backed salamander (plethodon cinereus) while flipping rocks right after I got home today. My field guide says that the farthest south this species occurs in is north carolina, but i'm confident that I positively identified him so either the field guide is wrong or he's a loner.
. Can't wait for short or bathing suit weather, so we can go herping.
